Term: 13 months

As a member of the UWaterloo Life (UWL) team within the Associate Provost Students (APS) portfolio, this position is responsible for consultation, planning, implementation and evolution of inclusive communications plans with a focus on Campus Wellness (CW). The incumbent works within a team of communications specialists who support a unified approach to student communications across the APS portfolio. The Specialist must demonstrate and champion an equity and anti-racist informed approach to their work – particularly as it relates to marketing and communication initiatives for a diverse audience.

Emphasis will be on supporting the portfolio in the following ways:

• Collaborating both internally and externally to ensure messages are tied to APS communications themes and resonate with the diverse student audience
• Managing digital assets, including maintenance of websites, social media and other digital platforms, such as digital screens and emails
• Managing and producing Campus Wellness digital presence – web, social, email communications used as key marketing communications tools
• Acting as UWaterloo’s Campus Wellness brand and visual identity ambassador for print and web materials

Planning, Implementation and Evaluation of communications plans

• Evolve the communications plan to achieve CW and UWL strategic goals, execute tactics and evaluate success. This may include producing and/or coordinating email campaigns, web content, social, and digital content, sourcing or coordinating photography, or leading small-scale video creation, or print pieces - working with Creative Studio as needed
• Work with campus partners to identify areas for content and message collaboration around overlapping themes such as wellness, exam preparation, getting involved etc.
• Develop crisp, compelling copy for multiple audiences using different platforms (with a specific focus on digital platforms)
• Assumes project management responsibilities for content development and maintenance of communication materials including resources, time and budget
• Manage social media content calendar that aligns with CW and campus partner key messages and events in coordination with the UWaterloolife social media content
• Provide leadership and guidance in communication best practices to Campus Wellness. Make decisions about the best course of action for internal and external communication messages and strategies
• Execute and incorporate internal and external wellness communications reviews to ensure communications plan follows best practices and builds on current assets, where possible
• Apply evaluation strategies to assess the reach and effectiveness of communication initiatives. This may include utilizing analytics, user experience testing, surveys, and/or focus groups
• Understand and adhere to university writing style and branding guidelines, ensuring the positive reputation of the University and Campus Wellness at all times

Consultation and Collaboration

• Contributes to the development of innovative ways of working with stakeholders and colleagues to ensure constructive and collaborative work dynamics
• Consult and work collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders, including Campus Wellness senior management team, Counselling Services, Health Services and Health Promotion team members, to lead creation of Campus Wellness key messages and/or campaigns that meet the needs of diverse audiences
• Consult and work collaboratively with Campus Wellness’ Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to ensure communication platforms and messages resonate and are responsive to client needs
• Work closely with the manager, digital student experience to plan and coordinate themes and campaigns to improve the digital student experience and students’ digital navigation of services and supports
• Coordinate and work closely with campus partners to integrate strategic Campus Wellness digital content, including digital screens, social media and web content, to ensure the incorporation of Campus Wellness key messages. This includes, but is not limited to the Waterloo Undergraduate Students Association (WUSA), Graduate Student’s Association (GSA), Student Success Office (SSO), Athletics and Recreation, Food Services and Faculties
• Provide leadership to campus partners, informing them of best practices for integration of Campus Wellness key messages.  This may also include participating on campus-wide committees to bring a communications perspective and expertise to planning of health and wellness initiatives

Research and Assess Current Trends & Best-practices

• Maintains clear understanding of student audience and preferred technologies and communications platforms and translates this into tactics for enhancing just-in-time message delivery of messages
• Keep abreast of student services and student programs that enhance the student experience

Manage and oversee the work of a co-op student

• Hires, trains, supervises and supports co-op student(s)
• Coaches and mentors co-op students in UWaterloo marketing and communications best practices

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Communications, Marketing) or related field, or post-secondary degree and experience
• Education or equivalent experience in health communications is an asset
• Proven ability, experience, and working knowledge and understanding of integrated communications plans within a highly complex institution, preferably tailored to a student audience
• Minimum three years’ experience in strategic communications planning, creative project management, or marketing in a non-for-profit role, preferably in an educational or health setting
• Ability to write dynamic, creative copy with a marketing flavour for different audiences is essential
• Strong understanding of email marketing, social media, digital communications and the web; interest in emerging trends and technologies, as well as student-preferred communications platforms
• Extensive experience with emailing platforms to manage and build and deliver email content (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact, etc.)
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders to coordinate successful projects
• Have expert eye for grammar and language usage along with well-developed proof-reading abilities
• Experience writing for multiple audiences, with specific experience writing for students on different platforms
• Excellent organization skills, easily able to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines and negotiate changes in priorities
• Excellent time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
• Intermediate skills in MS Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Advanced level of experience with web content management systems and other online tools including, but not limited to: MailChimp (email marketing tool), Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign), Emplifi (or other social media monitoring and scheduling tools), and Camtasia
• Demonstrates a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism through their planning and implementation of communications deliverables

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca  or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.